This 'best of Jean Michel Jarre' CD from 1983 covers his first four albums: Oxygene (1976), Equinoxe (1978), Magnetic Fields (1981) & The Concerts In China (1982). It was originally released in Germany and has only been available in the UK on import. It differs from the UK version of this album (entitled '
The Essential Jean Michel Jarre' (1983)) in that the track listing is slightly different: gone is 'The Overture' and 'Fishing Junks at Sunset' but added is the excellent 'Arpegiator'. Also the 'Magnetic Fields 1' featured on this album is the more well known first part of the track instead of the second part featured on the UK version. All the tracks on this album, with a couple of exceptions, are unedited and makes the running time 15 minutes longer than the UK version. For these reasons, it is IMHO the best compilation album of Jarre's early period and includes all his most famous tracks from this era, the only notable omissions perhaps being 'Equinoxe 7' and 'Souvenir of China'.
If you are looking for a good introduction to Jean Michel Jarre's music or a 'best of the early years' album, then look no further than this. However if you want a more up-to-date compilation that samples a wider range of his music then go for
Images: the Best of Jean Michel Jarre (1991) or
Essential Jean-Michel Jarre (2004).
Track listing:-
1.Oxygene 4
2.Equinoxe 5
3.Oxygene 2
4.Magnetic Fields 2
5.Arpegiator
6.Magnetic Fields 1
7.Orient Express
8.Equinoxe 4
9.Oxygene 6
10.Magnetic Fields 4
11.Equinoxe 3
12.Equinoxe 1
13.Magnetic Fields 5
Buy this album, sit back and enjoy some of the best ever music from one of the pioneers of electronic music.